Anesthesia always carries risks, even in healthy animals. In order to minimize the risks, it is important to thoroughly evaluate the animal before developing an anesthetic protocol. A complete and comprehensive medical history must be taken to determine what current problems exist and what past medical problems the animal has experienced.

Next, a thorough physical exam should be performed and if recommended, blood should be drawn. Blood tests can determine how well the kidneys, liver, pancreas and intestines are functioning. The blood tests can also evaluate the patient's immune system, oxygen carrying capacities and coagulation process. At this point, if everything appears normal, a safe anesthetic agent is chosen.

A healthy animal should be fasted for twelve hours and water removed two hours before the surgery. Removing the water prevents the possibility of aspiration pneumonia.

Prior to delivering the anesthesia, a premedication may be administered. The function of the premedication is to decrease the anxiety of the patient, reduce the pain involved with the surgical procedure, decrease the drug dose necessary for anesthesia and to promote a smooth post-anesthesia recovery.

For short procedures, injectable anesthetics can be used alone. For longer procedures, they are often combined with gas anesthesia. Similar to human anesthesia and surgery, the patient's heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, temperature and heart rhythm are monitored.

Common Anesthesia Machine

In human medicine, as well as in veterinary medicine, anesthesia has risks. By performing the preanesthetic tests along with monitoring the anesthetized patient, these risks are minimized.